Posted:12th Oct 2005Kinda scared about starting this thread cos i have a bad history of starting thread that already exist BUT i have done an extensive search and im pretty sure that this thread is completely new!!

i was just out in the garden having a bit of a spin, and i thought "hmmm i wonder what other people are trying to learn at the moment" and decided it would be agreat insight into the future of poi and where people were heading, and serve as inspiration to people who are a bit stuck. There is the obvious "oooh ive just learnt this" thread stuck at the top, but i thought it'd be good to hear what problems people are having with the moves while they are learning them, and how the over come them so other people can look and discover ways they might not have thought of.

so start your replies with "This Week I Am Mostly Learning....."

This Week I Am Mostly Learning.....3bt btb weaves, reverse5bt weave, and trying to work out 6bt TTN aswell as forward7bt weave. Problems?? loads, but these moves ( ):3btbtb weave, i keep hitting myself in the head, but im slowly getting the timing down, Reverse 5bt, my wrists dont seem to like it, still working on timing, again keep hitting myself in the head 6btTTN again, the wrists are complaining, and the timing keeps going offForward7bt, i got a few beats the otehr night but i lost it now

Posted:18th Dec 2010There's a tutorial that shows a meltdown is broken down into 2 smaller meltdowns. What I've normally heard what we normally call meltdowns is "mind meltdown" or "wallplane meltdown." I prefer "mind meltdown" if I' talking terminology because there are a lot of different meltdowns and wallplane meltdowns.Here ye go:

Posted:18th Dec 2010Exuro's vid helped me a lot when I was learning the meltdown. I recommend it, especially since the wheel plane meltdown is relatively simple, and thinking of a wall plane meltdown as a wheel plane meltdown turn is a pretty logical way to approach the move.

Starting to work on random transitions to get the feel for them, mostly between same direction and opposite during different moves/stalls. My mind and arms hurt... need a break, and actually, I could use some time spent around other spinners sometime soon, to talk 'shop' as it were.

Posted:20th Dec 2010Originally Posted By: SpinnerofDetroitThere's a tutorial that shows a meltdown is broken down into 2 smaller meltdowns. What I've normally heard what we normally call meltdowns is "mind meltdown" or "wallplane meltdown." I prefer "mind meltdown" if I' talking terminology because there are a lot of different meltdowns and wallplane meltdowns.Here ye go:

I've always heard the wall plane meltdown referred to as either a 'mind meltdown' or simply a 'meltdown', and the wheel plane meltdown as 'the gremlin'

Posted:22nd Dec 2010Spiral wraps... they are annoying me. Watched tutorials, but it just doesn't feel right yet.

Got Iso vs Extention and Static vs Extension working today... I mean, they aren't pretty yet, and getting into the Iso version is awkward still, but it works.Trying to get static vs antispin working but... that might take a little while longer.

Posted:22nd Dec 2010Mesh, try doing same direction, same time in a front wall plane. Notice how with one in front and the other behind it draws two sets of planes in front of you.

Now look at which poi is in front and which is behind. Can you swap them fluidly? Try to do so. Try to continue doing so, it sort of feels like a same direction TTN.

Whats the point of this? Its all about planes in the front wall plane there. Spiral wraps are 99% about having nice, clean planes there.

Good luck, my friend!

Also, on static vs antispin, try making the static poi so short that you're holding onto it, then just make it a little longer on each rotation til its full length and hey presto! You're doing static vs antispin! Congrats!

Posted:20th Jan 2011Ok, I got spiral wraps, I like em, thanks for the tips fellas.

Today I was working on the same time and split time 3 beat butterfly weaves. I'm getting it, it just feels very weird still. If I don't concentrate my left hand starts to bend towards doing a normal 3 beat.

I threw in one or two same time 5 beat butterfly weaves, but can't figure where to throw the 2 extra beats in split time yet. Not sure how it looks to outsiders, but I think it looks cool. *shrug*.

Posted:26th Feb 2011Playing with "heart stalls" (continuous horizontal stalls with point isolation exits, so that the poi arc is always changing direction, but always stalling along the same line). Starting to work on horizontal cat-eyes some more because I'd really like to be able to do *all* the UC hybrids and not have to carefully avoid one of the driving styles. Polishing the little contact stuff I can do...

Otherwise, branching out a bit more seriously into contact juggling and double staff.

Posted:1st Mar 2011More under the leg variations and one handed work. I'm the only person in town who utilizes throw handles and I'm trying to make the most of this since it really sets me apart from the rest of the local talent.

Also trying to organize local meetings of performers but people only seem interested if drugs/alcohol/hook up possibility is involved. Tiem for false advertising??

"Are you sure it's safe to drink bleach?""Yes, bleach is 90% water, we are 90% water, therefore: we are bleach."-Nathan Explosion, Metalocalypse

Posted:1st Mar 2011Originally Posted By: brenonfire413Also trying to organize local meetings of performers but people only seem interested if drugs/alcohol/hook up possibility is involved. Tiem for false advertising??

Got some really winners contacting you eh? ^_^ I met someone like that once, it was kind of annoying.I broke out the poi, they showed me their amazing really fast and angry 2 beat weave, and then tried to get me to do dirty things with them.... Some people have no respect.

Back on topic, right now I am working out getting my butt outside so I can raise my arms above head height while spinning... *sigh*

Posted:2nd Mar 2011WE have a really good spinning scene here in Detroit thanks to the Detroit Fire Guild. Everyone that goes to the practices are real down to earth people and very respectful. Plenty of ravers to but they're all the real PLURR ravers. But at events I still meet those kind of people that Meshuderlay talks about, I've only met like 1 though but I think he got put in his place ;D hahahaha, after I showed him what you can really do with poi and showed/attempted to teach him in the loud environment, he just like changed into a respectful human being. I sometimes get very confused by people

Posted:4th Mar 2011just started spinning a month ago, so I'm working on pretty much everything. tonight, it's flowers for the first time - not true flowers since I'm doing them indoors (curse you, Minnesota weather) but practicing spinning poi in a wheel plane with my arms extended all the way from the back to the front. I will say, left arm (my weak arm) extended all the way back is pretty effing funny, the plane is perfect in my brain but so lopsided in reality that I just have to laugh.

oh and if anyone has tips on backwards thread the needle, I'd love to hear them. I stopped trying for now, it was too frustrating. I'll get it eventually - if I can do forward TTN, I can do it backward - but it's certainly giving me more trouble than anything else I've tried so far. not the most essential move but I like to learn everything I know in every direction and mode.

The dawn has comeAnd the wine will runAnd the song must be sungAnd the flowers are meltingIn the sun

Posted:4th Mar 2011Morning all Fire in the Park was on Wednesday and I had a poi lesson last night, so I'm all high on poi at the moment.I'm trying to get Aston to Fire in the Park, if anyone has any ideas PLEASE let me know I'm contemplating kidnapping at this point

I'm also quite new to this and am working on just about everything at this point, BUT... we learned buzzsaw last night and oh my gosh... How do you guys do it with fire? It's terrifying on its own, let along adding two balls of fire to the mix!

Thirteen, I'm also struggling with backwards TTN, but the reason I can't do it is because I can't get my right hand ontop of my left hand backwards. It's easy as all hell going forwards, but backwards is just not happening. Try getting your backwards butterfly going smoothly with both your left hand and your right hand on top. Now, with forwards TTN you are bringing your bottom hand to the top, with backwards butterfly you take your top hand and move it to the bottom. If you can spin butterfly comfortably backwards with either hand on top, TTN should click after that I hope that is of some help!

As for the rest of the stuff that I'm working on, well... at this point I've got lots of little connecting moves and now I'm trying to piece them together so that they transition nicely between each other and at the same time, figure out how to stop doing the tree impression... ie... being rooted to one position. I'm trying to get my feet moving.

I got a huge dose of inspiration on Wednesday night in the form of the most amazing fire dancer I have yet to see. I have no idea what her name was, and she didn't do lots of little tricks which I see so often, but the way that she could move was out of this world. She took spinning circles to a whole new level for me. If I remember in two weeks and if she's there, I'll try get some video footage of her. No promises though, I'm a serious space cadet when it comes to remembering things.

Posted:4th Mar 2011Thirteen: Do the same thing you did to learn it forwards? (I prefer inwards and outwards, based on the direction of movement at the top, but that is another story.) One possible approach is work on swapping which hand is in top. If you can switch that at will, then a TTN should happen quite easily (almost by accident really).

Ash: Buzzsaw with fire is not too bad. Just remember to get the length of your chain correct. Once it is short enough (enough here means that it is not taking you in the face on every rotation) then adding fire makes no real difference, since you *know* you will not hit yourself. Still sounds scary.

Old drill (I think from bluecat) regarding transition practice: write down 10 or so moves at random. Go through them in order, as smoothly as possible, in about 30 seconds. Then reverse the list and do the same. Something that structured may not work for everyone, but it is a fun drill at times.

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice."You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Posted:5th Mar 2011sounds like you're having a lot of fun ash, I love it! I want to be able to dance like that as well. I get bored watching people do trick after trick; it's the movement and the flow that make poi beautiful to me.

thanks to both of you for the tips - I will try that. I can do backward (or outward as it were) with either hand on bottom, but left hand on bottom in particular is difficult. I'll polish it with both hands on bottom until I'm comfortable and then try switching one hand at a time. it should be cake from there... although I will definitely be practicing this with beanbag poi.

I like the idea of practicing different sequences of moves too, I'll have to try that.

The dawn has comeAnd the wine will runAnd the song must be sungAnd the flowers are meltingIn the sun

Posted:17th Apr 2011Just started spinning last week. I'm currently working on the butterfly, keeping my split time even, angel wings and a 3bt weave.

I did flag, rifle and saber in highschool (graduated in 96) then went back to teach and had planned on a pro career with Gaurd, THEN I got prego, LOL.

At any rate, this all seems VERY familiar to me and I am REALLY enjoying it!However, here are some of the things I'm running into:

had the butterfly DOWN, then one morning I picked it up and blamo, my socks keep baning into one another?? WTH?

Angel wings is something i was REALLY good at with a flag, broomstick, basball bat, you name it, only it was ONE handed. for some reason doin it two handed with poi causes my right brain left brain to CRASH! lol

And the weave, I can FEEL it, but getting it from my head to my hands is a different story! havent gotten it once, yet.

As I stated earlier, I am using sock Poi and for some reason I have it in my head that when I get my chain Poi it will all be alot easier. For one, I like the way loops feel rather than holding onto that knot at the end of the sock!

Anywho, thats what I'm workin on.

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Posted:19th Apr 2011The left and right brain crashing thing happens often Or at least it does with me O.o

How are you going with the weave? Just keep practicing, it will come... That one was one of the hardest for me because no one could really break down the pieces of the move for me. It will come though

Lol, I find the sock poi far easier to spin than chain poi for some reason... but everyone is different

As for what I'm working on...> Hand spiral wrap things...> Smoothing out isolations> Split Time Swishy Swishy Butterfly Thingy - this one is evil <_<> Fountain - still not smooth... Needs some love and attention.